Lisa Hawthorne Jewelry

About

As far back as I remember, art has always been a major influence in my life. My father was an architect and my parents collected art locally from the Detroit suburb where I grew up, and throughout their travels. It was in high school where I developed my love of metalwork, the cool feel, the malleability created with heat along with the textures, and shapes formed with a hammer.

After a stint of traveling through the Caribbean for several years my husband, Steve Kuntz, and I relocated in Oregon in 1981. With the abundant driftwood found in this area, and encouraged by my husband, I got into wood sculpture.

It became apparent after having our daughter in 1988 that it was a little difficult running a chainsaw, and listening for my baby's cry. It was then that I reclaimed my interest in jewelry.

With the desire for more color in my work and the expansiveness of color enamels offered, I began working with them. The shading that can be acquired, blending from one color to the next is incredible, I knew I had found my niche. Cloisonné is the enameling technique I use most, the term coming from the French word “cloison”, meaning an enclosed cell or area. I bend 24k gold, or fine silver ribbon and wire into designs that is then adhered on to fine silver with clear glass and fired in a kiln. Once cool, ground glass in a variety of colors is added to the piece and then re-fired at 1450 degrees for 2 minutes. Layer upon layers of glass are added with as many as 20+ firings.